What is this blog?
May 12
It’s a way for me to share the crafting ideas, techniques, and inspiration I find with you! In case you didn’t already know, I’m the owner of Craft & Sew Studio, a sewing and knitting school for kids and adults located in Virginia Beach, VA. Because I love what I do, I spend even a lot of my free time crafting and/or coming up with crafty ideas and/or looking at other people’s art and crafts and getting inspired. I kind of can’t help it! What I usually do is tell this student or that student randomly in lessons or classes, “Oh, you HAVE to see this tutorial/pattern/new fabric I found on [insert craft blog or site here], it’s right up your alley!” Or, “look at this cute new skirt I made!” Now I can share those things with everyone AND hear about the stuff you all find/make all at once. Yay!
Just to tell you a little bit more about my background, which of course flavors the types of crafts and inspiration I seek out… I grew up crafting in a family where everyone did and I’m so lucky for that. In fact, when I moved away to college it was a shock to realize that not everyone had dragged their 40-lb metal sewing machine 600 miles across the country because it was *essential* to have it with them! I found out that I could get a work-study job in the costume shop instead of, you know, like scanning books in the library or something boring like that, and that’s when sewing first became my job. I quickly got sucked into being a theater costumes major (along with philosophy, which I think also adds to my approach). Then I went to grad school in New York for costume design, and there was also a stop at London College of Fashion along the way (if you’re in college, GO ABROAD!). Then I designed costumes for plays in Boston and New York for a few years. I was also a personal assistant for a period of time as my day job, and I did surprisingly many crafty things as part of that. Then I decided to move back to Virginia Beach so I could be with with my close-knit family more. You can’t really do costume design as a full-time, paying job around here–it’s more like a hobby (or indentured servitude maybe?). So, I knew I wanted to work for myself and I knew that there were no sewing schools in the area. My friend Lindsay mentioned to my mom that I had taught her everything she knows about sewing (I don’t remember it that way, but thanks Linds!) and I got the idea to start Craft & Sew Studio, which I did on July 7th, 2008.
And I’m so happy I did. It’s hard having my own business and dealing with seasonal ebbs and flows sometimes, but I don’t think I need to tell you that crafting all day long (and helping other people craft) is super-fun! I can’t wait to share all my ideas, projects, and the sewing knowledge I’ve built over the past twenty or so years.
While I’m cooking up some more posts for you, please share with me–when and how did you learn to sew/knit/craft?
Hi Kristin!
I learned to crochet when a great friend of mine had thyroid cancer at 25 and she was in her 9th month of pregnancy (both are great today). We needed a diversion and what else can you do with a sick pregnant girl at 2am? She taught me what a yarn “stash” was and it’s been downhill from there. Then I joined the Navy at 27 and remembered that I had always wanted to learn to knit so I could teach my crochet friend. Being in the military you need portable hobbies. You can put down your crochet and knitting and come back to it later which was perfect. I got some books and taught myself how to knit but I didn’t know how to bind off. I walked around a navy base in Califonia for 2 days before a girl told me she knew how to bind off. She showed me how to purl and I was off. Then came spinning..drop spindle first and then wheel. I spread my joy in the Navy and taught as many as I could who wanted to learn. Nothing is more awesome than having projects that my fellow saliors knit on (yes all guys). They were also intrested in the dynamics of the drop spindle and often asked if they could spin “that thing” while I drafted the yarn. I was also known to knit socks while wearing a full face respirator or gas mask. What else am I gonna do while drills go on? Today my fiber art journey has lead me to school for a Crafts major. I do a little sewing but not as much as I would love.
Thanks for being my very first commenter, Hazel! Yay! Learning a craft definitely bonds you to the person you learn from or with. And teaching other people just continues the chain. I love, love, love seeing what people make after I teach them a skill and how they branch out into things I never would’ve thought of. Thanks for sharing
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Growing up my mom was always doing crafts with us. We made t-shirt dresses with puff paint designs, made our own hair accessories, baked teddy bear bread, that kind of stuff.
When I was in my early 20s, out of the blue I decided I wanted to learn to knit. I still don’t remember why. Anyhow I looked up “learn to knit” online and found out about Stitch n Bitch groups. I went to one in Virginia Beach and they were so nice. Hazel was in that group, as well as our friend Tasha. A lady in the group taught me the knit stitch, and the rest I learned online. Same with sewing – just taught myself from tutorials and experimenting.
I’m really looking forward to making my first quilt with you!
I’m always kind of amazed and impressed by people who teach themselves crafts online/from books. I have a couple students who are able to do that like you and I don’t know if I’d be able to if I hadn’t learned the basics in person already. That is just a different kind of smart! I’m trying to learn some intermediate weaving stuff from books right now and it’s a SLOW process.
Quilting will be a cinch for you! I’m looking forward to it too. Thanks for sharing
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PS. What is teddy bear bread??? Is it just bread shaped like a teddy bear?
Yep! Observe: http://bit.ly/lCqxl3
Hi Kristin! Congrats on the new sites!
I’ve always been surrounded by sewing. Both my grandmother and mother sew. My mom still uses my grandmother’s old Singer to this day. So I have always been exposed to sewing and it naturally became an interest of mine.
I took a home ec type class in high school and that was when I finally learned the real mechanics behind how to use a sewing machine and serger. I liked the idea of taking something as simple as 2 pieces of fabric and having the possibilities of making it into a number of different things.
Thanks, Agnes! I learned pretty much the same way you did growing up, only my home ec class was in middle school. If only Mrs. Pugh knew that her voice still echoes in my head (“trim your threads”, “measure the grainline”, etc.). They have really shortened the sewing part of Teen Living since we took it back in the day.
Is your daughter crafting yet? I can’t wait to pass it on when I have kids.